Jeff Gordon sends a crystal clear message on Alex Bowman & Co.’s crushing loss to Kyle Larson

NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon has delivered a clear take on Alex Bowman's performance after a crushing defeat to his teammate Kyle Larson. The Hendrick Motorsports driver stood strong throughout the Straight Talk Wireless 400 race hosted by the Homestead-Miami speedway; a costly mistake allowed Larson to overtake and take charge until taking the checkered flag.

Except for the Ambetter Health 400 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway where Bowman finished 26th, the #48 Chevrolet driver skilfully propelled his NextGen machine for four top-10s before posting his season-best finish in Miami. The Arizona native clinched his maiden pole for the season and led 43 laps, inching closer to punching his playoff ticket.

Nevertheless, with six laps to go, Bowman's blunder proved beneficial for his NASCAR champion teammate. The #48 Chevy driver made contact with the outside retaining wall, paving the way for Larson to overtake. The #5 Chevy driver capitalized on Bowman's error and fended off the #48 Chevy for the season's maiden win.

Despite the setback, Jeff Gordon sent a straightforward message about Alex Bowman and his crew's strong performance this season.

"I think this performance all weekend, to have that solid of a weekend pole… Pit stops were great. They were basically in the top five all day long, led a bunch of laps. You know, to be leading at the end, contending, that does a lot for a race team," Gordon said via Speedway Digest.

"I think we saw the momentum building with that team last year, at the end of last year. You just hope that they can build on that and carry that into the season, and I think they have. You’ve got to get the results. So I think today was an important day for them, and I think you’ll see that create quite a spark to hopefully get them on a run," he added.

It's worth mentioning that Bowman admitted to his 'mistake' after being unable to give his sponsors what they 'deserved.'

---

Jeff Gordon opens up on Kyle Larson's Miami dominance

Jeff Gordon, and Kyle Larson, look on as Larson's son, Owen Larson places the winner sticker on his car after winning the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 23, 2025 - Source: Getty

Kyle Larson has bagged two wins and six top-5s from the 12 visits he made at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Thus, the 2021 Cup Series champion is well-versed in taming his NextGen machine on the 1.5-mile intermediate speedway, something Jeff Gordon spoke confidently about in the wake of Larson's exhilarating win.

The four-time NASCAR champion opined on Bowman's 'strong' race whilst commenting on Chase Briscoe's #19 and Bubba Wallace's #23 Toyotas garnering attention with their impressive battle.

But one aspect that Gordon stressed was Kyle Larson. He highlighted that one can't count Larson out, especially in Miami, where he has created a decorated resume.

"You just can’t ever count out Kyle Larson and especially at this place. You could see some of the other guys struggling a little bit. His car just doesn’t fall off when he puts it on the fence the way he does," Jeff Gordon said via Speedway Digest.

After dethroning Alex Bowman by a 1.205-second margin, Kyle Larson has jumped four places in the standings, currently sitting in second.